Adjustable quiet refill heads for flush valves

ABSTRACT

A diaphragm type flush valve having a depending guide in the valve barrel is equipped with a ring shaped refill head adjacent the valve seat to quiet the water flow and to regulate the amount of water to different plumbing fixtures.

Nelsnn et al. [451 A1". 1, 1972 ADJUSTABLE QUIET REFILL HEADS 1 I References Cited FOR FLUSH VALVES UNITED STATES PATENTS [72] lnventors: Axel 13- Nelson, Mount Prospect; Roman 1,521,354 12/1924 Burns ..251/45 X 111 Spacko, Darien, both f m 1,579,785 4/ 1926 Rouleau..... ..25l/45 X 2,956,574 10/1960 Cowan ;....137/270X [731 Asslgneel Sloan valvecomvany 3,399,860 9/1968 Billeteretal. ..251/37 [22] Flled: Feb. 1971 Primary Examiner-M. Cary Nelson [2]] Appl. No.: 112,296 Assistant Examiner-Robert]. Miller Att0mey-Parker, Carter & Markey [52] U.S.Cl ..137/270,25l/40,25l/120 [57] I ABSTRACT [51] Int. Cl ..Fl6k31/145 58 Field of Search ..137/270; 251/120, 121, 122; A dlaphrag"! typiflush "W hvmg a dePendmg 251/37 40 38 45 valve barrel 1s equlpped wlth a rmg shaped refill head ad acent the valve seat to quiet the water flow. and to regulate the amount of water to different plumbing fixtures.

11 Claims, 5 Drawing Figures 7 A I2 I I6 6 20 I0 1 II I, v 1 01/01/1 g in o ADJUSTABLE QUIET REFILL HEADS FOR FLUSH VALVES CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED PATENT The present invention is an improvement on US. Pat. No; 3,399,860 issued Sept. 3, 1968, H. R. Billeter et al.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION When flush valves are installed in plumbing systems where the prevailing water supply pressures are relatively high, the valve closing action creates annoying noises during the socalled refill action by the valve guide. Many attempts have been made to quiet the closing and so called refill portions of the flush valve flow of water, but these efforts have not proven entirely satisfactory in practice. Some of these quieting means took the form of annular screen rings around the guide adjacent the valve seat, rough surfaces or scoring, and flso rubber washers. These were generally costly, became readily clogged, and did not reduce the noise factor to an acceptable level.

It is accordingly the principal object of the invention to design a new and improved ring shaped refill head for the depending guide of a flush valve which avoids all the disadvantages of previous types of refill heads, which renders the flushing action extremely quiet, is economical to manufacture, resists wear, is immune to the action of corrosive water, and is non-clogging.

A further object is to provide an improved quiet acting refill head for a fiush valve guide which is adaptable when reversed to adjust for various amounts of water for different plumbing fixtures.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION In the diaphragm type of flush valve,.such as the well known Sloan Royal Flush Valve, manufactured by Sloan Valve Company, Chicago, Illinois, the diaphragm is provided with a depending guide within the barrel of the flush valve, which guide serves the purpose of properly guiding the diaphragm into and away from its sealed position on the valve seat, and also tapers off the flushing action prior to complete valve closure. This action also provides the refill portion of the amount of water for the water closet seal. In the present invention the guide is provided with a novel refill head supported adjacent the valve seat and consisting of an annular ring having a series of stepped surfaces around it, together with vertical grooves also disposed around its periphery. This construction provides the necessary quieting action as the valve closes upon its seat. In addition the refill head may be removed and placed in reversed position upon the guide so that two different amounts of water may be passed through the valve. It is therefore not necessary to provide two differently arranged flush valves, one for use on water closets for giving a large flush, and the other for urinals providing a smaller flush.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS FIG. 1 is a cross-sectional view of a flush valve showing the invention;

FIG. 2 is an enlarged composite cross-sectional view of a portion of the flush valve showing the two different positions of the refill head;

FIG. 3 is a perspective view of the refill head;

FIG. 4 is an enlarged cross-sectional view of the refill head, while;

FIG. 5 is an enlarged view of a portion of the circumference of the refill head.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT Referring specifically to FIG. 1, the general details ofconstruction and operation of the flush valve are well known and need not be pointed out specifically, except as they are concerned with the present invention. The flush valve includes the brass body 1 provided with an inlet water supply connection 2 and an outlet 3 between which there is an internal upstanding barrel 8. The upper edge portion of barrel 4 forms the annular main valve seat 5. The main valve member consists of a flexible circular rubber diaphragm 6 having a bottom valve seating portion 7 and which is clamped to the top end of a cylindrical guide member 8, made of a plastic material such as CYCOLAC, extending downward within the barrel 4. The diaphragm 6 is provided with a central opening 9 through which a clamping disc 10 extends with a portion 11 threaded into the guide member 8 and thereby clamps the diaphragm 6 tightly between them. Certain other details of the diaphragm 6 are preferably constructed in accordance with US. Pat. No. 2,776,812 issued Jan. 8, 1957. A relief valve 12 which may be made of DELRIN plastic material is carried by the clamping disc 10 and has a depending operating stem 13 which extends downward through the diaphragm opening 9 and within the guide member 8. The lower end 17 of the stem may be made of DELRIN plastic material and is arranged opposite the actuating plunger 14. Plunger 14 is adapted to be pushed inward by the handle operator 15 to tilt the relief valve 12 off its seat 16 across the opening 9 to initiate the operation of the flush valve.

The handle socket 18 has a split cup-shaped insert 19 which may be made of NYLON plastic material to serve as a bearing for the inner end of handle 15 in the socket I8 and to permit smoother operation without apparent wear. The valve body 1 is provided with an external cover 20 and an internal cover 21, the latter preferably being made of an ABS plastic molded material such as CYCOLAC. The external cover 20 is screw threaded around the top end of the body 1 and provided with a shoulder 22 which engages the outer peripheral edge of internal cover 21 and presses it downwardly against the thickened edge 23 of the diaphragm 6 to clamp the diaphragm firmly around its periphery into position in the valve body.

In the ordinary operation of the flush valve described, the water pressures are equalized above and below the diaphragm 6 through the small by-pass opening 24, and since the pressure area above the diaphragm in chamber 25 is greater than that below the diaphragm, the diaphragm is held tightly against valve seat 5, thereby shutting off the water flow between the inlet 2 and outlet 3. Now when the plunger pin 14 is pushed inward by the operating handle 15 to contact stem 17, the relief valve 12 is tilted from its seat 16, so that the pressure above the diaphragm in chamber 25 is relieved downward through the diaphragm central opening 9 to the outlet 3. The water pressure from the inlet 2 is now effective to flex and lift the. diaphragm upward from its seat 5 and permit the water flow to take place through the flush valve and over the top end of the barrel 4 to the outlet 3 and into the plumbing fixture.

The telescoping element 17 depending from stem 13 enables the relief valve 12 to close upon its seat 16, in the event the handle 15 is held unduly long in the operated position. With the relief valve again seated, the upper chamber 25 gradually fills to the inlet pressure value through by-pass 24, thereby timing the length of the flushing action and the amount of water passing through the valve, until the diaphragm 6 is again seated on the main seat 5, shutting off the water flow.

It is well known that the closing off noise of a flush valve, which takes place immediately prior to the actual closing of the diaphragm upon its seat, is somewhat reduced by the use of screens, rough surfaces, and similar means. One example is shown in the aforesaid US. Pat. No. 3,399,860 of which the present invention is an improvement. The noise reducing means employed tends to break up the jet-like streams to reduce their velocity and thereby cushion the flow of water across the valve seat, quieting the flush valve.

In the present invention the quiet acting means is combined with the refill head and comprises a ring shaped member 30 I which is placed over the top end of the guide 8 and against the diaphragm by the threaded disc 10 so that the refill head moves up and down in unison with the movement of the diaphragm. The refill head is supported in close proximity to the inner walls of the guide 8 and immediately adjacent to the valve seat in the closed position of the valve.

The refill head 30 is preferably molded of some suitable plastic material such as DELRIN acetal plastic containing approximately 20% pulverized glass. This material is relatively stable under all conditions, is non-corrosive, resists wear and wire drawing, inhibits the formation of foreign particles on its surface, and is economical and easy to manufacture. All these features render this refill head eminently suitable for the use to which it is put. The refill head is molded into the ring shape as shown in FIG. 3 and its outer periphery is formed with a series of precisely shaped vertical grooves, the general shape of which is clearly shown in FIG. 5. The number of these grooves is 180, this being the number selected by extensive experiments as being the most suitable to provide the utmost in quietness to the valve operation. The grooves are made shallow and V-shaped to correspond to an angle of 90. They are 0.006 inch deep and evenly spaced 2 apart around the refill head. They are arranged vertically so that the water flow will be parallel with the grooves to prevent clogging. One end of the refill head 30 as seen in FIG. 4 has its edge portion slightly rounded as indicated at 34. The foregoing portion of the refill head construction is concerned primarily with producing the desired quieting action. This occurs with the valve closing movement of the diaphragm just prior to its seating at which point the greatest velocity of water flow takes place, and at higher water pressures this usually causes annoying audible noises. The high velocity streams of water impinging upon the grooves surfaces 32 are immediately broken up and dissipated and are caused to create a turbulence in the area tending to slow down the velocity streams. This action effectively eliminates the noise. The refill head while achieving quietness in valve operation also precludes the possibility of clogging the grooves 32 since the water flow takes place parallel to the vertical grooves in the refill head.

A second function performed by the ring element 30 is to provide the small refill portion of the water required to seal the trap of the water closet before the flush valve finally shuts off. For this purpose the refill head 30 has two stepped ridges 35 and 36 formed around it on one end opposite the rounded end 34. In the position shown in FIG. 1 and the right hand side of the center line A-A of FIG. 2, the ring 30 is mounted on the guide 8 with the stepped ridges 35 and 36 on the bottom end. In this position, as the diaphragm 6 moves downward to closing position on its seat 5, the stepped ridges enter the barrel 4 just prior to the closing off so that the water flowing through the valve is gradually tapered off to provide the necessary refill (about one quart) amount to insure a water seal in the trap of the water closet bowl after the bowl has siphoned off its contents in response to the full flow of water through the flush valve. These ridges 35 and 36 are also effective to provide a certain amount of noise suppression to the high velocity water flow at valve closing. However the principal quieting action takes place immediately prior to valve closure, by the grooves 32 arranged directly above the ridges 35-36.

Another important feature provided by the quiet refill head 30 is that it is adaptable for use in two different positions on the flush valve so that a single standard flush valve can be used for all urinal fixtures or water closets. This is accomplished by merely removing the valve covers 20 and 21 and lifting the assembly out of the barrel 4 after which the disc is unscrewed from the guide 8. The refill head can then be easily removed and reversed after which the parts are again assembled.

In the position of the refill head as illustrated in FIG. 1 and on the right side of the center line A-A of FIG. 2, the refill head 30 is adapted for use on water closets or service sinks where a small refill amount of water is required to provide the trap seal. Such plumbing fixtures usually require 4 to 4 /2 gallons to properly flush them.

In the alternate and reversed position of the refill head as shown in FIG. 2 to the left of the line A-A, the refill head functions during the last movement toward valve closure, and permits only a small amount of refill water to pass into the plumbing fixture. This arrangement is used for certain water closets and urinals such as blowout or siphon jet urinals requiring about 3 to 3% gallons of water to properly flush them. These urinals necessarily do not require a large refill amount of water but only a small amount consistent with that provided when the rounded end 34 of the refill head 30 enters the barrel 4 at the time of valve close off. The quiet flushing action is of course present in this case, due to the rounded end 34 and grooved surface 32.

It is thus apparent that the refill head 30 fulfills at least three specific purposes, one, as a refill head for water closet bowls and urinals; two, as a noise quieting means; and three, in the reversed position to serve certain closet and urinal fixtures.

Because the refill head is made of plastic materials it serves an important use in the prevention of corrosion to the brass parts of the flush valve when dirty or corrosive waters are flushed through the valve. It acts as an inert material so that electrolytic action cannot take place between dissimilar metal materials present in the valve. Its position directly in the water flow path, together with the plastic guide member, plastic relief valve and its stem, all contribute to the prevention of any destructive electrolysis action in the valve.

What is claimed is:

1. In a flush valve having an operating diaphragm and a barrel portion providing a water passage together with a main valve seat on the top end of said barrel portion for the diaphragm to seat upon and control the water flow through the flush valve, a hollow cylindrical guide member attached to said diaphragm and depending from the diaphragm into said water passage and into said barrel, a quiet acting refill head around the top of said guide member and located adjacent said main valve seat in the closed position of said valve, said refill head being clamped and supported between the top of said guide member and said diaphragm, said refill head effective to quiet the flow of water into said passage immediately prior to complete valve closure and to restrict the flow through said passage at valve close off, said refill head comprising a ring shaped plastic member having a series of grooves formed around its periphery, and a series of stepped ridges formed around another portion of its periphery, said grooves and said stepped ridges being adjacent each other, said refill head adapted to be positioned on said guide member with the grooves on the bottom end of said refill head for use of the flush valve on certain plumbing fixtures, and adapted to be reversed on said guide member with the stepped ridges on the bottom end of the refill head for use of the flush valve on other plumbing fixtures.

2. In a flush valve having an operating diaphragm and a barrel portion providing a water passage, together with a main valve seat on top of the barrel portion for the diaphragm to seat upon and control the water flow through the flush valve and water passage, a cylindrical guide member attached to said diaphragm and depending from the diaphragm into said water passage and said barrel portion, a quiet acting refill head around the top end of said guide member and located adjacent said main valve seat in the valve closed position of said diaphragm, said refill head being clamped and supported between the top of said guide member and said diaphragm, said refill head being effective to quiet and to restrict the fiow of water into said passage immediately prior to complete valve closure, said refill head comprising a ring shaped member having a plurality of vertical disposed grooves arranged around its periphery and a series of horizontal disposed ridges also around its periphery, said grooves and said ridges being adjacent each other on the outer portion of said refill head, said refill head adapted to be clamped in position on said guide member with the grooves on the bottom end of said refill head for use of flush valves for certain plumbing fixtures, and said refill head adapted to be reversed on said guide member with the ridges on the bottom end of the refill head for use of flush valves on other plumbing fixtures.

3. A refill head for use in flush valves to provide quiet action to the water flow at valve close off, said refill head comprising a ring shaped member having a plurality of narrow, shallow grooves formed around the lower portion of the periphery of the refill head, and a plurality of stepped ridges formed around the upper portion of the periphery of the refill head.

4. A refill head for quieting the water flow in a flush valve, comprising a ring shaped member having a plurality of narrow grooves vertically disposed around the periphery of the refill head, said grooves extending upwardly from one edge of the refill head and for a portion of the depth of said refill head, a plurality of stepped ridges horizontally disposed around the periphery of the refill head and extending from the opposite edge of the refill head down to the edge of said grooves, said grooves being effective to produce a quiet action to the flow of water through the flush valve at the valve closure, and said stepped ridges being effective to produce a refill portion of the water flow at valve closure.

5. A refill head for quieting the water flow through a flush valve, comprising a ring shaped member having a plurality of narrow grooves vertically disposed around the outer edge of the refill head, said grooves extending from one end and for portion of the depth of the refill head, at least two stepped ridges horizontally disposed around the outer edge of the refill head, said ridges extending from the opposite end of the refill head down to a junction with the grooves at a point between the top and bottom ends of the refill head, and means for supporting said refill head between its ends in said flush valve.

6. The refill head as claimed in claim in which the vertical grooves around the refill head are effective to quiet the flow of water through the flush valve at valve closure, and the stepped ridges are effective to provide a refill portion of the water flow from the flush valve.

7. The refill head as claimed in claim 5 in which the refill head is adapted to be supported in the flush valve so that the vertical grooves are on the bottom portion of the refill head thereby to provide quiet action to the flush valve at valve clo- 'ferent diameters around the refill head, with the ridge of greater diameter merging with one end of the grooves, said stepped ridges having chamfered edges around their outer ends.

9. The refill head as claimed in claim 5 in which the grooves are vertically disposed around the outer side portion of the refill head and parallel to the water flow through the flush valve to quiet the flow therethrough, and in which the stepped ridges are dispose horizontally around the outer side portion of the refill head adjacent the grooves and at right angles thereto and the water flow to provide a refill portion of the water flow through the flush valve in its closing position.

10. In a flush valve, a body having an inlet and an outlet, a passage connecting the inlet and outlet, a valve seat at one end of said passage, a diaphragm positioned to control the flow of water through said passage and to close upon said seat, a guide member attached to the bottom of said diaphragm and positioned within said passage, and a refill head attached to said guide member adjacent the diaphragm, said refill head comprising a ring-shaped member having a plurality of narrow generally axially extending grooves spaced about its outer periphery.

11. The structure of claim 10 further characterized by a plurality of circumferential ridges adjacent one end of said refill head. 

1. In a flush valve having an operating diaphragm and a barrel portion providing a water passage together with a main valve seat on the top end of said barrel portion for the diaphragm to seat upon and control the water flow through the flush valve, a hollow cylindrical guide member attached to said diaphragm and depending from the diaphragm into said water passage and into said barrel, a quiet acting refill head around the top of said guide member and located adjacent said main valve seat in the closed position of said valve, said refill head being clamped and supported between the top of said guide member and said diaphragm, said refill head effective to quiet the flow of water into said passage immediately prior to complete valve closure and to restrict the flow through said passage at valve close off, said refill head comprising a ring shaped plastic member having a series of grooves formed around its periphery, and a series of stepped ridges formed around another portion of its periphery, said grooves and said stepped ridges being adjacent each other, said refill head adapted to be positioned on said guide member with the grooves on the bottom end of said refill head for use of the flush valve on certain plumbing fixtures, and adapted to be reversed on said guide member with the stepped ridges on the bottom end of the refill head for use of the flush valve on other plumbing fixtures.
 2. In a flush valve having an operating diaphragm and a barrel portion providing a water passage, together with a main valve seat on top of the barrel portion for the diaphragm to seat upon and control the water flow through the flush valve and water passage, a cylindrical guide member attached to said diaphragm and depending from the diaphragm into said water passage and said barrel portion, a quiet acting refill head around the top end of said guide member and located adjacent said main valve seat in the valve closed position of said diaphragm, said refill head being clamped and supported between the top of said guide member and said diaphragm, said refill head being effective to quiet and to restrict the flow of water into said passage immediately prior to complete valve closure, said refill head comprising a ring shaped member having a plurality of vertical disposed grooves arranged around its periphery and a series of horizontal disposed ridges also around its periphery, said grooves and said ridges being adjacent each other on the outer portion of said refill head, said refill head adapted to be clamped in position on said guide member with the grooves on the bottom end of said refill head for use of flush valves for certain plumbing fixtures, and said refill head adapted to be reversed on said guide member with the ridges on the bottom end of the refill head for use of flush valves on other plumbing fixtures.
 3. A refill head for use in flush valves to provide quiet action to the water flow at valve close off, said refill head comprising a ring shaped member having a plurality of narrow, shallow grooves formed around the lower portion of the periphery of the refill head, and a plurality of stepped ridges formed around the upper portion of the periphery of the refill head.
 4. A refill head for quieting the water flow in a flush valve, comprising a ring shaped member having a plurality of narrow grooves vertically disposed around the periphery of the refill head, said grooves extending upwardly from one edge of the refill head and for a portion of the depth of said refill head, a plurality of stepped ridges horizontally disposed around the periphery of the refill head and extending from the opposite edge of the refill head down to the edge of said grooves, said grooves being effective to produce a quiet action to the flow of water through the flush valve at the valve closure, and said stepped ridges being effective to produce a refill portion of the water flow at valve closure.
 5. A refill head for quieting the water flow through a flush valve, comprising a ring shaped member having a plurality of narrow grooves vertically disposed around the outer edge of the refill head, said grooves extending from one end and for portion of the depth of the refill head, at least two stepped ridges horizontally disposed around the outer edge of the refill head, said ridges extending from the opposite end of the refill head down to a junction with the grooves at a point between the top and bottom ends of the refill head, and means for supporting said refill head between its ends in said flush valve.
 6. The refill head as claimed in claim 5 in which the vertical grooves around the refill head are effective to quiet the flow of water through the flush valve at valve closure, and the stepped ridges are effective to provide a refill portion of the water flow from the flush valve.
 7. The refill head as claimed in claim 5 in which the refill head is adapted to be supported in the flush valve so that the vertical grooves are on the bottom portion of the refill head thereby to provide quiet action to the flush valve at valve closure, said refill head also adapted to be reversed in its supported position so that the stepped ridges are on the bottom portion of the refill head thereby to provide a refill amount of water through the flush valve at valve closure.
 8. The refill head as claimed in claim 5 in which the vertical grooves in the refill head are V-shaped and are connected to adjacent grooves at their outer ends by flat spaces defining the outer edge of the refill head, said stepped ridges being of different diameters around the refill head, with the ridge of greater diameter merging with one end of the grooves, said stepped ridges having chamfered edges around their outer ends.
 9. The refill head as claimed in claim 5 in which the grooves are vertically disposed around the outer side portion of the refill head and parallel to the water flow through the flush valve to quiet the flow therethrough, and in which the stepped ridges are dispose horizontally around the outer side portion of the refill head adjacent the grooves and at right angles thereto and the water flow to provide a refill portion of the water flow through the flush valve in its closing position.
 10. In a flush valve, a body having an inlet and an outlet, a passage connecting the inlet and outlet, a valve seat at one end of said passage, a diaphragm positioned to control the flow of water through said passage and to close upon said seat, a guide member attached to the bottom of said diaphragm and positioned within said passage, and a refill head attached to said guide member adjacent the diaphragm, said refill head comprising a ring-shaped member having a plurality of narrow generally axially extending grooves spaced about its outer periphery.
 11. The structure of claim 10 further characterized by a plurality of circumferential ridges adjacent one end of said refill head. 